[EAS] Radio and Maui: A Failure To Communicate?

[Kelly Alford]

Hi Bill, 

I appreciate and always enjoy reading your views.  I think even you'd agree
that it's impossible to predict and prepare-for every potential scenario.
If that were the case, authorities would issue special helmets to members of
the public because there is a slight possibility you could be struck and
killed by a small meteor walking out the door of your home.  How extreme and
crazy would that seem to the general public based on known similar events?
The point is; trying to prepare for everything based on infinite potential
scenarios, is no more realistic than thinking about issuing meteor helmets.
Humans can only prepare for known situations, usually based on some sort of
negative experience.  With that in mind, I'm confident Hawaiian emergency
management officials will add potential spread of invasive species
grassfires to the list of potential disasters that could happen going
forward.

That said; want to talk about emergency services spending money on totally
useless initiatives?  They're setting up portable AM radio transmission
systems to communicate information to the general public:
https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/hawaii-puts-am-radio-
to-work-in-maui?utm_term=EBB12A53-69DD-4A25-BAA7-7179E29C6489&utm_medium=ema
il&utm_content=F8CCE3D4-9748-4815-A756-82DF627FC04B&utm_source=SmartBrief

First of all, there are 46 radio stations and transmitters in the area, so
radio is already covered. To me, how is this going to help anyone who's
already lost everything? As in the example of one survivor being interviewed
by the NYT; several jumped into the ocean and remain today with only the
clothes they escaped with and are still wearing.  How on God's green earth
does anyone with even half a brain expect folks impacted will have access to
stupid AM radio receivers? Let alone care to hear a repeating message over
and over about where to visit for assistance.

I've got an idea! Rather than spending taxpayer dollars on some 100-year-old
method of communication, use that money to give the displaced residents more
than a measly $700 for the basics to survive in the most expensive place to
live in the U.S.

Best, 

Kelly       

-----Original Message-----
From: EAS [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Bill Ruck

Kelly,

While one may not anticipate a once-in-a-lifetime event like Maui a good 
organization with good planning and good training responds appropriately.

Again going back to my days in a sailor suit:

1.  When demanded for the reason for something in boot camp we were told 
(generally loudly and profanely) "That is an excuse.  Now what is the 
reason?"

2.  Extremely rarely does a Navy ship sink.  But everyone on the ship is 
continuously trained to respond to issues that could sink the ship.  A 
waste of time?  I don't think so.

Unfortunately my experience is that most emergency services managers and 
organizations are never fully funded and are always kept in the dark. 
But when the one-in-a-lifetime event happens they are blamed.

I remember being told "Our last earthquake was in 1906".  Or at least 
until 1989.

Bill Ruck
Curmudgeon
San Francisco

On 8/22/2023 6:47 AM, Kelly Alford wrote:
> But how does one anticipate, let alone predict a hurricane hitting an
island
> that doesn't include any moisture in an unusually hot and dry year?  There
> are likely millions of scenarios just like this one that can't be
> anticipated, let alone planned-for other than based on history of a
> particular geography.  Emergency planning and associated funding is all
> based on history and trends.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: EAS [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Clay Freinwald
> 
> Bill Ruck wrote -
> 
> While I don't think it is fair or even reasonable to Monday Morning
> Quarterback the emergency services people in Maui it is also extremely
clear
> that they were not up to the job.
> 
> I suspect there is some ' Because it's never happened, it won't'  Thinking
> going on.
> 
> Clay Freinwald
> 

__________________________________________________________
The EAS Forum Discussion List is hosted by the BWWG (Broadcast Warning
Working Group). http://eas.radiolists.net
Please invite your friends to join our Forum! The sign up is at:
https://lists.radiolists.net/mailman/listinfo/eas
___________________________________________________________